Teaching

I teach courses in the biological realm of environmental science, in subjects such as conservation biology, conservation planning, and ecology. In all of my classes, my teaching is motivated by the critical need to improve our understanding of our environment. We are facing conservation and sustainability dilemmas of unprecedented complexity. To resolve these issues will require a thorough and rigorous understanding of our earth and its biological components. I try to develop in students not only a depth of knowledge in a particular subject, but also the critical thinking skills, broad interdisciplinary understanding, and effective communication skills they will need to intelligently address future challenges.

Courses

Research/Scholarship

My research addresses topics in the fields of conservation biology, avian ecology, behavioral ecology, and landscape ecology. I am most interested in questions that have both theoretical and applied aspects.

Currently I am investigating the ecology and conservation implications of migration and movement of diverse organisms: penguins, salamanders, and invasive plants. I and my colleagues have found that penguins in the South Atlantic travel great distances-hundreds of kilometers-to forage during the breeding season, and even greater distances during migration. This finding raises questions relating to the ecology of these marine birds (Why do they travel so far? What determines where they go?), as well as conservation issues (How to conserve a species that is so wide ranging?). Similarly, I am researching the movement and metapopulation structure of the California tiger salamander, a federally listed endangered species to learn more about the species' ecology and how to better conserve it in its diminishing habitat. In a different way, invasive plants also "move," and I am investigating the patterns of spread of non-native invasive trees. Ultimately, this work may have applications in the control of environmentally destructive invasive species.

Other areas in which I have research interest are various topics in behavioral ecology such as habitat selection and mate choice in penguins, effectiveness of GIS-based conservation planning, and human biodiversity preferences. Most of my research is field-oriented, and makes use of both high- and low-tech techniques. I welcome participation in my research by graduate students and undergraduates.